I'll say one thing about "revelation" (or the lack thereof)..
I went wow. Next.. what does one do, go corps? I never had any honest to god "revelation", or even a stinking FEELING to do so for that matter. In fact, no one even approached me on the subject.. I thought with such a "godly" thing to do, must be something wrong with me..
Based on the number of people who approached us to sponsor them in the WC, I was wondering how someone got "revelation" to do that? I know that it doesn't hurt to ask for money. I'm not opposed to supporting "relief missions." I simply didn't agree with WC training goals (at least from what I could gather), or the idea that it was my job to provide financial assistance to achieve these "goals".
We were fair - we never supported anyone.
As I explained to someone one time, the decision to go WoW or WC is yours, and while I understand that TWI wants you to find people to financially support you while you are doing this, I don't agree with that practice. I don't feel any more obligated to financially support your career move than you feel inclined to provide me financial support while I stay home with my children.
There were a number of bonehead ideas passed off as "revelation," but I would have to say the dumbest was putting the Corps on full-time salary. (In fact, I remember thinking to myself when I first heard the news, that if this WASN'T revelation it was the stupidest thing I'd heard.) Imagine converting hundreds of cash sources into cash sinks. The financial damage to TWI was great. A (perhaps) unintended side-effect was freeing up all those Corps to meddle in the believers' lives, destroying morale and causing even more financial problems with the ensuing exodus.
...and let's not forget when king okie got the "revelation" to shut down the 3 biggest money makers for twi...the pfal class, the roa and the wow program. These were the cash cow programs that Vic put together...loyboy pulled the plug on the whole shebang! Revelation?...can anyone say dufus?
It was a money making scam. Period. The video cassette players (not recorders) became a fixture of the TWI A/V equipment inventory in about 1972 or 1973. That may not be an exact date, but it's close. I remember shopping for a used car in about 1973 or 1974. One of the requirements I insisted on was a trunk that was large enough to transport the video tape player (not recorder). At one point, VP made a "prediction/prophesy" <_< that someday every home in America would one day own a tape player (not recorder). Wouldn't you know it? Not long after that, he "made it available" for anyone interested, to make a special purchase of a Beta player for the mere cost of $800.00. That's a bundle of money here in 2009. Just think how exorbitant it was in 1979 or so. But, hey, you could be the first on your block, "dontcha know"? There was no "revelation" involved. He used his MOG status to promote the con. I, of course, wasn't making anywhere near the kind of money needed to get in on this "special" deal. I did know some people who got sucked in on it, though. VPW must have laughed all the way to the bank. What a huckster.
There were any number of small and medium projects that failed. They certainly didn't have a better track record than secular companies. Another Joe Coulter harebrained idea was white noise in the EOB. The EOB was known to have a high noise and distraction level. Joe became convinced that if the A/V department could install speakers in the ceiling and play white noise over them, it would conceal the background chatter and office machine noise. After a huge and very unpleasant effort by the A/V department to install the system, Howard announced at a Sunday morning staff meeting that it didn't work and to take it out.
I remember much painful discussion over the Fountain of Living Waters, including the threat of "tear it out".
Need we mention the Corps Chalet and it's intended purpose? I didn't think so.
What about the honey wagon they made out of a dairy tanker? They were going to pull a vacuum on the tank to suck the sewage out of the portapottys. The first time they tried, the dairy tanker collapsed like an aluminum Coke can.
Then there were the vehicles. The Twig Hopper and that other something-way. Truly inspired designs. And buying a Convar 580, spending millions of dollars on it, ground support equipment and workers only to sell it.
Just as bad, to my mind, was their reluctance to get rid of junk and buy good equipment. Thousands of hours of skilled labor and heart went into keeping worn-out equipment going that should have been replaced.
Back in early 1985, TWI leadership wanted each and every limp--err limb leader to get a IBM PCjr (remember those? Take a look at the pic below). And it was no more than a month or two after that IBM discontinued that model, and thus cutting off any further support and software.
Uhhh DUH! Ya think that maybe Gawd woulda let them know this ahead of time?
What about the honey wagon they made out of a dairy tanker? They were going to pull a vacuum on the tank to suck the sewage out of the portapottys. The first time they tried, the dairy tanker collapsed like an aluminum Coke can.
I'd be suprised if they didn't try to sell it at auction..
*"slightly" used dairy tanker..*
They could have billed it as a "Prevailing Word over da world double-duty dairy tanker.."
Back in my Way-days, decision-making & "revelation" had to be one of the most stressful aspects of my life. I admit to a ton of stupid decisions on my part. Decisions to go W.O.W., Corps, NOT to go back and finish college, where to live, what to do for work, dealing with financial issues, etc.
With the "exacting deliberation" of a deaf judge on American Idol – my choices always gravitated toward what I knew to be sanctioned by TWI – because it was familiar ground & there was nothing further I had to figure out. The stress came from trying to discern what was "good" versus "best". Was that "first thought"? Is this the center of God's will?
Looking back, I now feel I had a thought process doomed to failure for it was based on the faulty assumption that God was trying to direct my every step – and if I had my "earballs" closed – I'd hear from heaven another way – another TWI follower - and if their name happened to have a "Reverend" of "Doctor" in front of it – that clinched it!
Being inept at critical thinking and having any creative thinking strangled out of me always put me in a precarious position to handle critical issues – not to mention being strongly influenced by how vp modeled decision-making. His infamous God-talking-to-him-audibly/bringing-on-a-snowstorm story gave credence to whatever else he had to say about receiving revelation. Even his mannerisms in front of an audience reinforced this. I can remember times he'd stop mid-sentence – and after a pregnant pause mutter "Father says shut up".
If I could Quantum Leap back to those days, I'd love to jack with certain people. Look some Gestapo-acting-reproof-spouting Corps dude right in the eye and say "Father says shut up." Or go to my Corps Coordinator and say "Father says this program is of the devil". Better yet – go back to my first Corps Promo meeting. Jump up right in the middle of the presentation and yell "God's not telling me to go - he's telling you to go." Then pull a Playtex Girdle over his head and say "Thus shall the Corps program bind your mind." ….ok, well I don't get paid for my stories…but I sure do feel better getting all that off my chest.
Let's face it, Wierwille was a great conman. PT Barnum would have made him his partner...Sucker born every minute? Wierwille played his role to perfection...so called "revelation" was his fix in the con...it was the bread and butter, no lose crapola that he used to take our money and our women. He was a human scum bucket...he destroyed people's lives and did it by lying in God's name...
Let's face it, Wierwille was a great conman. PT Barnum would have made him his partner...Sucker born every minute? Wierwille played his role to perfection...so called "revelation" was his fix in the con...it was the bread and butter, no lose crapola that he used to take our money and our women. He was a human scum bucket...he destroyed people's lives and did it by lying in God's name...
The beauty of the con...wasn't it vic the con that said something to the effect of, "If someone comes up to you and tells you god told me to tell you then you can ignore them because god can tell you himself?" What a great con job...since he always told us what god was thinking...flawless...
Perhaps the biggest con.. the huckster was able to convince us (or a lot of us) that it was "revelation" to go wow, corps, give a significant portion of one's income to a half-baked scheme that really didn't need the money..
that (in at least some cases) it was gawd's will to abandon friends and family..
TWI paid about $1.7 mill for Emporia, $2 mill for Rome City purchase price plus renovation) in 1974 and 1977. TWI sold them later for $750,000 each in 1991 and 1999 (not counting ongoing repairs on the old buildings).
Figuring in the fact that 1990s dollars are worth much less than 1970s dollars (and the fact the campuses spent years vacant), a whole lot of well-meaning tithes were lost by leadership error.
As much as the trustees talked about "the best," they seemed to have no eye for value.
Figuring in the fact that 1990s dollars are worth much less than 1970s dollars (and the fact the campuses spent years vacant), a whole lot of well-meaning tithes were lost by leadership error.
Based on direct costs it certainly was a loss. I'm not so certain after you factor in Corps tuition and other indirect income that the properties enabled TWI to collect.
The beauty of the con...wasn't it vic the con that said something to the effect of, "If someone comes up to you and tells you god told me to tell you then you can ignore them because god can tell you himself?" What a great con job...since he always told us what god was thinking...flawless...
I guess - if you weren't paying attention. I recall him saying something to that effect and then marveling at the number of people who claimed revelation on behalf of another.
Based on results, not only did top TWI leadership not have an "in" with God, they lacked connection with pretty much anything beyond their lust.
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Ham
I'll say one thing about "revelation" (or the lack thereof)..
I went wow. Next.. what does one do, go corps? I never had any honest to god "revelation", or even a stinking FEELING to do so for that matter. In fact, no one even approached me on the subject.. I thought with such a "godly" thing to do, must be something wrong with me..
but I never went in. I never even tried..
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Tzaia
Based on the number of people who approached us to sponsor them in the WC, I was wondering how someone got "revelation" to do that? I know that it doesn't hurt to ask for money. I'm not opposed to supporting "relief missions." I simply didn't agree with WC training goals (at least from what I could gather), or the idea that it was my job to provide financial assistance to achieve these "goals".
We were fair - we never supported anyone.
As I explained to someone one time, the decision to go WoW or WC is yours, and while I understand that TWI wants you to find people to financially support you while you are doing this, I don't agree with that practice. I don't feel any more obligated to financially support your career move than you feel inclined to provide me financial support while I stay home with my children.
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GeorgeStGeorge
There were a number of bonehead ideas passed off as "revelation," but I would have to say the dumbest was putting the Corps on full-time salary. (In fact, I remember thinking to myself when I first heard the news, that if this WASN'T revelation it was the stupidest thing I'd heard.) Imagine converting hundreds of cash sources into cash sinks. The financial damage to TWI was great. A (perhaps) unintended side-effect was freeing up all those Corps to meddle in the believers' lives, destroying morale and causing even more financial problems with the ensuing exodus.
George
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GrouchoMarxJr
...and let's not forget when king okie got the "revelation" to shut down the 3 biggest money makers for twi...the pfal class, the roa and the wow program. These were the cash cow programs that Vic put together...loyboy pulled the plug on the whole shebang! Revelation?...can anyone say dufus?
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waysider
It was a money making scam. Period. The video cassette players (not recorders) became a fixture of the TWI A/V equipment inventory in about 1972 or 1973. That may not be an exact date, but it's close. I remember shopping for a used car in about 1973 or 1974. One of the requirements I insisted on was a trunk that was large enough to transport the video tape player (not recorder). At one point, VP made a "prediction/prophesy" <_< that someday every home in America would one day own a tape player (not recorder). Wouldn't you know it? Not long after that, he "made it available" for anyone interested, to make a special purchase of a Beta player for the mere cost of $800.00. That's a bundle of money here in 2009. Just think how exorbitant it was in 1979 or so. But, hey, you could be the first on your block, "dontcha know"? There was no "revelation" involved. He used his MOG status to promote the con. I, of course, wasn't making anywhere near the kind of money needed to get in on this "special" deal. I did know some people who got sucked in on it, though. VPW must have laughed all the way to the bank. What a huckster.
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Jim
There were any number of small and medium projects that failed. They certainly didn't have a better track record than secular companies. Another Joe Coulter harebrained idea was white noise in the EOB. The EOB was known to have a high noise and distraction level. Joe became convinced that if the A/V department could install speakers in the ceiling and play white noise over them, it would conceal the background chatter and office machine noise. After a huge and very unpleasant effort by the A/V department to install the system, Howard announced at a Sunday morning staff meeting that it didn't work and to take it out.
I remember much painful discussion over the Fountain of Living Waters, including the threat of "tear it out".
Need we mention the Corps Chalet and it's intended purpose? I didn't think so.
What about the honey wagon they made out of a dairy tanker? They were going to pull a vacuum on the tank to suck the sewage out of the portapottys. The first time they tried, the dairy tanker collapsed like an aluminum Coke can.
Then there were the vehicles. The Twig Hopper and that other something-way. Truly inspired designs. And buying a Convar 580, spending millions of dollars on it, ground support equipment and workers only to sell it.
Just as bad, to my mind, was their reluctance to get rid of junk and buy good equipment. Thousands of hours of skilled labor and heart went into keeping worn-out equipment going that should have been replaced.
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GarthP2000
Ooooo ooo oooo I got one. I got one!
Back in early 1985, TWI leadership wanted each and every limp--err limb leader to get a IBM PCjr (remember those? Take a look at the pic below). And it was no more than a month or two after that IBM discontinued that model, and thus cutting off any further support and software.
Uhhh DUH! Ya think that maybe Gawd woulda let them know this ahead of time?
Pic of PCjr:
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Bolshevik
they shoulda got commodores . . .
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excathedra
i got married on a self-invented revelation thingy
but i have to say even though it was twisted i love my ex a lot because he's such a great guy
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waysider
I got a feeling these
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Ham
I'd be suprised if they didn't try to sell it at auction..
*"slightly" used dairy tanker..*
They could have billed it as a "Prevailing Word over da world double-duty dairy tanker.."
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doojable
Bad decision that Revelation took the rap for...
... LCM as President of twi
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T-Bone
Back in my Way-days, decision-making & "revelation" had to be one of the most stressful aspects of my life. I admit to a ton of stupid decisions on my part. Decisions to go W.O.W., Corps, NOT to go back and finish college, where to live, what to do for work, dealing with financial issues, etc.
With the "exacting deliberation" of a deaf judge on American Idol – my choices always gravitated toward what I knew to be sanctioned by TWI – because it was familiar ground & there was nothing further I had to figure out. The stress came from trying to discern what was "good" versus "best". Was that "first thought"? Is this the center of God's will?
Looking back, I now feel I had a thought process doomed to failure for it was based on the faulty assumption that God was trying to direct my every step – and if I had my "earballs" closed – I'd hear from heaven another way – another TWI follower - and if their name happened to have a "Reverend" of "Doctor" in front of it – that clinched it!
Being inept at critical thinking and having any creative thinking strangled out of me always put me in a precarious position to handle critical issues – not to mention being strongly influenced by how vp modeled decision-making. His infamous God-talking-to-him-audibly/bringing-on-a-snowstorm story gave credence to whatever else he had to say about receiving revelation. Even his mannerisms in front of an audience reinforced this. I can remember times he'd stop mid-sentence – and after a pregnant pause mutter "Father says shut up".
If I could Quantum Leap back to those days, I'd love to jack with certain people. Look some Gestapo-acting-reproof-spouting Corps dude right in the eye and say "Father says shut up." Or go to my Corps Coordinator and say "Father says this program is of the devil". Better yet – go back to my first Corps Promo meeting. Jump up right in the middle of the presentation and yell "God's not telling me to go - he's telling you to go." Then pull a Playtex Girdle over his head and say "Thus shall the Corps program bind your mind." ….ok, well I don't get paid for my stories…but I sure do feel better getting all that off my chest.
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GeorgeStGeorge
Is it possible that Father says shut up is the only real revelation VP got?
:P
George
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Jim
Odd that VP would hear God telling him to shut up, but not to keep his pants zipped.
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now I see
LOL!!! Jim, I've never read anything so funny! Amen to that! What a skeezer!
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waysider
How about his "revelation"regarding the original sin that he decided to share with us in CF&S?
I think about those times when, in the middle of a teaching, he would pretend that God was whispering in his ear. It makes me want to barf.
What a shyster!
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excathedra
musta had a bad ear too
sowwy
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GrouchoMarxJr
Let's face it, Wierwille was a great conman. PT Barnum would have made him his partner...Sucker born every minute? Wierwille played his role to perfection...so called "revelation" was his fix in the con...it was the bread and butter, no lose crapola that he used to take our money and our women. He was a human scum bucket...he destroyed people's lives and did it by lying in God's name...
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RumRunner
The beauty of the con...wasn't it vic the con that said something to the effect of, "If someone comes up to you and tells you god told me to tell you then you can ignore them because god can tell you himself?" What a great con job...since he always told us what god was thinking...flawless...
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Ham
Perhaps the biggest con.. the huckster was able to convince us (or a lot of us) that it was "revelation" to go wow, corps, give a significant portion of one's income to a half-baked scheme that really didn't need the money..
that (in at least some cases) it was gawd's will to abandon friends and family..
I think everybody has to trust somebody..
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johnj
TWI paid about $1.7 mill for Emporia, $2 mill for Rome City purchase price plus renovation) in 1974 and 1977. TWI sold them later for $750,000 each in 1991 and 1999 (not counting ongoing repairs on the old buildings).
Figuring in the fact that 1990s dollars are worth much less than 1970s dollars (and the fact the campuses spent years vacant), a whole lot of well-meaning tithes were lost by leadership error.
As much as the trustees talked about "the best," they seemed to have no eye for value.
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Jim
Based on direct costs it certainly was a loss. I'm not so certain after you factor in Corps tuition and other indirect income that the properties enabled TWI to collect.
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Tzaia
I guess - if you weren't paying attention. I recall him saying something to that effect and then marveling at the number of people who claimed revelation on behalf of another.
Based on results, not only did top TWI leadership not have an "in" with God, they lacked connection with pretty much anything beyond their lust.
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